AFTER a 14-day campaign, 39,151 people in Sungai Bakap are voting today.
Polling, which began at 8am, will end at 6pm. Sungai Bakap borders Kulim-Bandar Bahru in Kedah.
Residents can check their eligibility to vote at mysprsemak.spr.gov.my. The weather is expected to be sunny with intermittent rainfall. Traffic may be higher because of the the long Awal Muharram weekend.
Election Commission (EC) secretary Datuk Ikmalrudin Ishak said presiding officers and security personnel have been briefed to ensure the voting process goes smoothly. He advised people to vote early.
About 500 police and EC workers have been deployed for security.
The by-election is a straight fight between Pakatan Harapan's Joohari Ariffin, 60, and Perikatan Nasional candidate Abidin Ismail, 56.
Voting turnout is expected to be moderate. PH and PN are hoping for a high turnout of 80%, compared to the 61% in the Kuala Kubu Baru by-election in Selangor.
Political analyst Rahmad Ishak said the turnout for a by-election is usually average unless the result will have an impact on the government of the state or country. He said the result of this one will not change the slant of the Penang assembly, where PH holds a two-thirds majority with 29 seats, and PN has 10 seats.
The Sungai Bakap seat became vacant following the death of its assemblyman Nor Zamri Yusoff in May.
A victory for PN would allow PAS to claim that the "green wave," which led to convincing victories in four states, still persists. A win for PH could indicate that it is slowly regaining the support of the Malays, who had felt betrayed when Umno allied with PKR and PH to form the national unity government.
Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammed Sanusi Md Nor led the PN election machinery,
PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli seeks to establish his leadership credentials by leading the unity coalition to victory.
PN campaigned on the need for checks and balances for the unity government while PH pushed the ideals of unity and stability in the country moving forward. – July 6, 2024.
